Astronaut Training

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Astronaut Training: How an Astronaut is made

   How do you think someone is  selected to trained as an astronaut?  To begin with, NASA selects people who are experts in a field that will aid the other astronauts on a mission and whose skills will be needed in the Space Station. Depending on the field of your expertise, NASA will assign you to do a specific job. Each job is given to a person who has trained for that field. In addition to your field of expertise, a future astronaut must train for about two years before he or she can become an astronaut. The future astronaut will learn the basics of training and learn how to fly a training jet. After this you will be given an assignment on the Space Station. When you are experienced enough, you will be allowed to have your first space flight.

Training in the Space Station

    The astronaut trainee will have to be trained for 18 months before they can go to the Space Station. Astronauts also have to speak Russian to communicate with the Russian Mission Control Center. Because The Russians were the first to explore space, many missions are joint efforts between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.  Besides knowing Russian,  knowing more than two languages will help you even more. You will take many trips  during the 18 month training period. You will visit many different countries.

Astronaut Training

    You will practice all the things that you will actually do in a Space Station. You will also have to read schedules and procedures correctly. You must know how to use all of the Space Station's software and know how to input information in the Inventory Management System. There will be a simulator which will allow you to practice the new things you just learned. You will also learn what do in emergencies and also practice them in the simulator. You will be using this simulator a lot during your training. The team that you are training with will give you a book which will contain all the things you will need to know for the lesson. You will be training in both Russia and Houston. You will also be in a pool learning how to work outside the Space Station. After months of training you should now how to do almost everything there is to learn. The more you trained the more closer you will be an astronaut.

Black Sea Survival Training

    The astronauts that were first to board the International Space Station are learning how to survive in water in case of landing in water. They learn how to react to emergency situations. They also repeat procedures many times in case if something happens when not planned. Most of the time the spacecrafts land in the water but just in case the crew practices procedures that will be taken in an emergency. The spacecraft can also serve as a lifeboat when the astronauts are in need. This is why the astronauts practice water procedures.

    Sources:

    http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/crew/training/blacksea/index.html

    http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/support/training/isstraining/index.html

    http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/support/training/isstraining/flow.html

    http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/support/training/isstraining/systems.html

Images From:

    http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-1/html/97_10687.html

    http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-7/html/jsc2002e27581.html

    http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-3/html/jsc2001e16673.html